ROSS Kemp is having to reinvent himself as a serious documentary maker (stop sniggering!) as his acting career seems to be in ruins.

You see, his SAS drama Ultimate Force has just been sensationally axed by ITV bosses. The show, in which the former EastEnder played Sgt Henno Garvie, has been given its marching orders because it costs too much to make.

Ultimate Force ran for four series but executive producer Brian True-May, whose company Bentley Productions made the show, told us exclusively, "We're not making it any longer. The problem was it was very expensive and ITV didn't want to do it any more," he said.

"It cost #850,000 an hour to make whereas show like Midsomer Murders cost #150,000 an hour less. Over a series that's a lot of money. It's a shame because Ross would have done more."

Brian also reckons ITV bosses voted with their feet by scheduling episodes on Saturday evenings when its target audience - men aged between 18 and 34 - were probably otherwise engaged. He added: "That was a big mistake."

Meanwhile, documentary maker Ross has been busy in Afghanistan filming a Sky One series about British soldiers. He flew out last month just hours after he picked up a Bafta for his documentary series Ross Kemp On Gangs.

But it if Ross hasn't cured his acting bug, it looks like the only thing he can do is hail a cab to Walford again, ASAP.